The Ohanaeze Council of Elders says it is exploring the possibility of establishing a South-East University that will specialise in engineering, medicine, science and technology, and skill acquisition.

This is contained in a communiqué issued by the council at the end of an inaugural meeting of Ohanaeze Council of Business Leaders, in Abuja yesterday.

Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chairman of the Council, who read the communiqué, said the meeting reflected on the past, examined the present circumstances, and looked into the future of Nigerians of Igbo extraction.

“We have taken a decision today that we are not going to depend on government again; we are going to take our destiny in our own palms by making sure that Igbo land is industrialised.

“We have carried out studies which revealed that in every field, if we work very hard without relying on government, since we know we have no one in power for now, we can develop our place.

“We have taken a decision to focus on education because it is actually the mainstay of our development,” Iwuanyanwu said.

He recalled that by 1960, the region had achieved great heights in education, industry and commerce.

This, he said, was made possible by education, adding that the Eastern region at that time, embarked on a functional education that helped in developing the area.

“And we think we are going to repeat that, because educational standards have gone down, we are determined today that we are going to change the narrative.

“We are setting up a committee on education that will look at education in Igbo land in the past, as it is today and what we want in the future.

“The committee will come up with suggestions within a month.

“It is likely that when the committee comes up with its report, we are going to build a South-East University which will specialise in medicine, engineering, science and technology and skills acquisition.

“We need to count our blessings, name them one by one and give thanks to God for his mercies,” the Ohanaeze Council of Elders chairman said.

He added that apart from establishing the South-East University, the council would also focus on agriculture, industrial development, which would include cement manufacturing, tiles, textile and ceramics production.